Carton-formiong and closing means and method



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June Z1, 1960 w. M. PoTTs ET AL CARTON-FORMING AND CLOSING MEANS AND METHOD Filed April 19, 1957 18 Sheets-Sheet 2 El f5 ZoNE"Y" WILLIAM M. $0173,

CLEQG E. Pence,

JEROME O. VARHOLT and BERNARD V. VANS.

INVENTORS ATTORNEYS June 21, 1960 w. M. POT-rs ETAL CARTON-FORMING AND CLOSING MEANS AND METHOD Filed April 19, 1957 18 Sheets-Sheet 3 `lune 21, 1960 w. M POT-rs ETAL 2,941,340

CARTON-FORMING AND CLOSING MEANS AND METHOD Filed April 19, 1957 18 Sheets- Sheet 4 L INVENTORSI Wu \AM M. POTTS,CLEGG E. Dance, JEROME QDPm-@LTMJBERNARD V. VANS,

ATTORNEYS W. M. POTTS ETAL CARTON-FORMING AND CLOSING MEANS AND METHOD Filed April 19, 1957 June 21, 1960 18 Sheets-Sheet 5 WlLuAM MPQTTS, CLEGG E. Plame, JEROME QUARHOLTa/:JBERNAEV V. VANS.

ATTORNEYS w. M. PoTTs ET AL CARTDN-FORMING AND CLOSINGI MEANS AND METHOD Filed April 1s, 1957 June 21, 1960 18 Sheets-Sheet 6 @2m mmwwzw DN/30P @ZQOOlG m N| T. l W m Im m N R Q E P V O L v .v n f m E m A N :m G R s ad Y um mm @om Sm Ow 07m 9m r2 l U -r r.. KA, @om n m E N m PW :n NN@ Nm am M O e No@ o@ on m M @IWW QN n O U m .dw som m EY N@ S- v.I n. IB L im NW *mm QW mom En m .Sm Sm .Nmm om \Q-m n Nm +Qu. Q. i QN Nom mmm .mm 3m um? 1.4...- o o .o 0e .o oo n. o .o ou on om 000000000000 @NBG OO im hmm @mu n .Gm L. Wr mv m@ oQv 5v A mmm ND ,D SJ mm-- l ma .N l.. E om Sv N6@ Mo@ o@ N m N D? A June 21, 1960 w. M. PoTTs ETAL 2,941,340

CARTON-FORNING AND CLOSING MEANS AND METHOD Filed April 19, 1957 18 sheets-sheet 7 INVENTORS;

WILLIAM M. PoTTs, CLEGG E. PRxcE,

El y; 8 IERQMEODARNQLT am! BERNARD V. VANS. BY nmaa, ASDA fw ATTORNEYS June 21, 1960 w. M. PoTTs EI'AL 2,941,340

CARTON-FORMING AND CLOSING MEANS AND METHOD Filed April 19, 1957 18 sheets-sheet e J8 INVENTORS El y; WxLLmM M. POTT s, CLEGG E. Pince,

JEROME O. VARHoLTand BERNARV V. VANS- ATTORNEYS June 21, 1960 w. M. Po'rTs ET AL 2,941,340

CARTON-FORMING AND CLOSING MEANS AND METHOD Filed April 19. 195? 18 Sheets-Sheet 9 Lia-- INVENTOR 8.5 WILLmM MPOTTS, CLEGG E. PmcE, 2 g JEROME OVAeHou'and BaN/mv D. DA Ns,

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ATTORNEYS June 2l, 1960 w. M. POT-rs ETAL 2,941,340

CARTON-FORMING AND CLOSING MEANS AND METHOD Filed April 19, 1957 18 Sheets-Sheet l0 (Loomuc, Towmzv Eezess END) 59 I N VENTORSI WxLLlAM M. Porrs,

CLEGc, E. Mame,

Tenenc- O. VAEHoLTand BERNARv 12 VANS. El gj] BY ia,(m,m+ mx5w ATTORNEYS June 21, 1960 w. M. PoTTs ETAL CARTON-FORMING AND CLOSING MEANS AND METHOD Filed April 19, 1957 l 18 Sheets-Sheet 1l INVENTORS WlLLvAM M. vm'fs, CLEGG E. PmcE, JEROME QVARHOLT afm BERNARD V.

VAN.

BY faim,

ATTORNEY S June 21, 1960 w. M. PoTTs ETAL 2,941,340

CARTON-FORMING AND CLOSING MEANS AND METHOD Filed April 19, 1957 18 Sheets-Sheet l2 l N VENTORS:

JEROME O. VARHOLT m/BERNARV V. VANS.

ATTORNEYS WILUAM MPOTTS, CLEGG EPmcE,

June 21, 1960 w. M. PoT'rs ETAL 2,941,340

CARTN-FORMING ANDl CLOSING MEANS AND METHOD Filed April 19, 1957 18 Sheets-Sheet 13 INVENTORS'.

El W\LL.\AM M. Dow-5, CLEQG E. Pmce,

Emme GVARHQLT am! BERNARD V. VANS.

ATTORNEYS June 21, 1960 w. M. P01-Ts ETAI- CARTON-FORMING AND CLOSING MEANS AND METHOD Filed April 19, 1957 18 Sheets-Sheet 14 (LoomNG Tow/mv Neat-s s END) M o 3?.. www? V ORHN W. PD. RW .'A MQO. .Y me W HEMA l N wc m @am MQ. w.

ATTORNEYS June 2l, 1960 w. M. PoTTs ET'AL 2,941,340

CARTDN-FDRMING AND CLOSING MEANS AND METHOD Filed April 19, 1957 18 Sheets-Sheet l5 Lomme TowARD INQRE ss END) 35 INVENTORS:

El 9:18 JEROME- O. DARHOLT :1m/BERNARD D. VAN s. (Loomma TOWARD *INQRSS END) BY 410., @501A Mj- 4, MEM] ATTORNEYS June 21, 1960 w. M. Por'rs ET AL 2,941,340

oARToNFoRM1NG AND CLOSING MEANS AND METHOD Filed April 19, 1957 18 Sheets-Sheet 16 536' El 9121 .Ieome O. VARHOLT and BERNARD D. DAN 5.

, BY wd. Mig,

ATTORNEYS June 21, 1960 w. M. PoTTs EI'AL 2,941,340

CARTON-FORMING AND CLOSING MEANS AND METHOD Filed April 19, 1957 18 Sheets-Sheet 17 June 21, 1960 w. M. PoTTs ET AL CARTON-FORMING AND CLOSING MEANS AND METHOD 18 Sheets-Sheet 18 Filed April 19, 1957 United 'ttes CARTON-FORMING AND CLOSING MEANS AND METHDD Filed Apr. 19, 19157, Ser. No. 653,795

52 Claims. (Cl. 53-34) This invention relates to packaging machinery particularly to an improved machine for forming elongated and substantially rectangular cartons or carriers from paperboard or cardboard blanks in which articles, such as mens hose and the like may be placed, after which the cartons are closed.

This invention is particularly concerned with an apparatus of the general character disclosed in the copending application of Grover C. Currie et al., Serial No. 499,652, filed April 6, 1955, and entitled Carton Forming Apparatus and Method, now U.S. Patent No. 2,893,183.

It is an object of this invention to provide apparatus of the character described in which a novel blank delivery station, a, novel gluing or adhesive-applying station and a novel compression unit for applying pressure to completed cartons are uniquely arranged :with rst and second folding stations of the general character disclosed in said copending application, the blank delivery station, tirst folding station, adhesive applying or gluing station, second folding station and compression station being serially arranged in that order. The novel blank delivery station, gluing station and compression station or unit combined with the first and second folding stations facilitates a much higher rate of production than has heretov fore been possible with similar machines, particularly machines of the type disclosed in said copending application.

In the present apparatus, the aforesaid stations are serially arranged so that successive blanks are initially delivered at the delivery station, then partially folded at the rst folding station to form an open-topped carton with side flaps distended So articles may be manually positioned in each successive carton. Thereafter, the successive partially formed cartons pass through the gluing station which is uniquely arranged so as to apply glue or other adhesive to one of the sid'e flaps of the carton in any desired pattern; that is, the latter ilap may be formed with a coating of adhesive along opposite side edges and one free end thereof or in any other desired manner.

After the cartons advance past the gluing station, they pass through the second folding stationfor successively folding opposite end liaps thereof inwardly over one of the side liaps and then folding the other side llap over the irst side iiap and the end flaps. The cartons are then ejected from the conveyor (which has advanced successive cartons from the rst folding station through the second folding station) and moved between upper and lower series of rollers comprising the compression unit or station. In order that the lled and completed cartons are properly shaped; i.e. so that adjacent end and side edges are relatively perpendicular, the rst few rollers of each series are idler rollers so that each successive carton is ejected against the previously formed carton and, as the leading carton is thus advanced through the compression unit, it then passes between other rollers of said series, some of -which are driven to ultimately space successive cartons apart from each other while applying pressure to a 2 the upper and lower Surfaces thereof to insure that the various complementary elements of each carton are tightly secured together.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other and more detailed objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved packaging machine;

Figure 2 is a left-hand side elevation of the machine with respect to the direction ofthe movement of the cartons;

Figures 3, 3-A and 3-B are enlarged plan views of the respective left-hand, central and right-hand portions of Figure l, illustrating the carton ejecting end, the gluing station and therfeed end, respectively, of the machine;

Figure 4 is an enlarged elevation of the feed end of the machine looking at the right-hand side of Figures 1 and 2; l

Figure 5 is a discharge end view of the machine with the cover of the compression unit broken away and looking at the left-hand side of Figures 1, 2 and 3;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal, Vertical sectional view through the compression unit, this view being transverse to the longitudinal axis of the machine proper, taken substantially along line 66 in Figure 3;

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional plan view j showing parts of the means for imparting intermittent movement to the main conveyor;

Figures 8, S-A and 8-B are, collectively, an enlarged left-hand side elevation of the machine as shown in Figure 2;

Figure 9 (Sheet 8) is a fragmentary top plan view looking substantially along line 9`9 in Figure 8-A illustrating means for driving the main cam shaft of the machine.

Figure 10 (Sheet 9) is a plan view of a blank from which one of the cartons is formed in the present machine;

Figures 11, ll-A and ll-B are, collectively, an enlarged right-hand side elevation of the machine looking at the opposite side thereof from that shown in Figure 2;

Figure 12 (Sheet l1) is a fragmentary isometric View of some of the assembled parts of the gluing station look-ing in the general direction of the arrow indicated at 12 in Figure 3-A;

Figure 13 is an isometric View looking generally in the direction of the arrow indicated at `13 in Figure l2 and showing a preferred arrangement of the ribs on the glue-applying plate;

Figures 14 and' 15 (Sheet 12) are somewhat schematic views of the cams and corresponding mechanical connections for operating the carton-ejector means at the discharge end of the machine and the blank transferring means at the ingress or feed end of the machine, respectively;

Figure 16 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view through the feed end of the machine taken substantially along line 16--16 in Figure'3-B;

Figure 17 is a transverse vertical sectional view, mostly in elevation, looking toward the ingress end of themachine substantially along line 17-17 in Figure 16;

Figure 18 is a transverse vertical sectional view showing the gluing station, being taken substantially along line 18-18 in Figure S-A and looking toward the ingress end of the machine;

Figure 19 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view through the die through which each successive blank is forced in the initial carton-forming operation and being taken substantially along line 19-19 in Figure 3B;

Figure 20 is al somewhat schematiceisometnicv viewof a feed-end portion of the track through which each succe'ssve carton passes and showing portions of the cartonforming die and the means for horizontally distending outwardly one of the side flaps of each successive carton; Figure 21 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view showing the' ingress end of the compression unit, taken substantially along the line 21--21 in Figure 5, but omitting the cover;

Figure 22 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional View through the compression unit, being parallel to thc longitudinal axis of the machine proper, taken substantially along line 22--22 in Figure 5;

Figures 23 through 28 are somewhat schematic kviews of the connections between various cams of the machine and elements controlled thereby;

Figure 29 (Sheet 10) is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view, mostly in elevation, taken substantially along line 29-29 in Figure 3-A (Sheet 3), illustratng the adhesive-applying apparatus.

Brief synopsis of the machine The improved machine is particularly devised for feeding dat paperboard or cardboard carton blanks or carrier blanks, broadly designated at S (Figures 3-B, 10 and 16), wherein ablank storing and feeding mechanism broadly designated at and comprising a blank delivery station A, as legended -in Figures 1 and 2, picks up the uppermost blank S from a stack (Figure 16) and then moves forwardly to position the leading edge of the blank at the nip of upper and lower pairs of constantly driven feed rolls 11, 12 (Figures 3-B, 4, 16 and 17). The feed rolls 11, 12 feed each successive blank S onto a plate 13, immediately below the level of which a pair of .laterally spaced, constantly driven and endless parallel blank transferring` or feeding elements 14 are located, these elements being shown in the form of sprocket chains in Figures 3-B, 4, 11, 16 and 17.

Each of the endless blank transferring sprocket chains 14 has one or more lugs or projections 14a thereon which, when moving with the upper runs of the chains 14, project slightly above the level of the plate 13 so as to'engage the rear edge of each successive carton blank S to feed the same onto a die platform 15 (Figures 3-B, '116, 17 and 19) provided with a substantially rectangular tubular die 16 which is opened at its upper end and whose lower end terminates closely above the path of travel of pockets 17 mounted on an intermittently movable main conveyor broadly designated at 26. The platform 15 and die 16 are elements of a rst folding station B (Figures 1 and 2). Y Y The carton blank 'In order to facilitate the various steps in the operation'o'f the improved machine the carton blank S is preferably constructed in a manner to be presently described (Figure` 10). The blank S comprises a main body or bottom 22 which is preferably provided with an opening 22a therein for the purpose of displaying the article subsequently to be placed in the cartons formed from the blanks S. The bottom 22 is provided with relatively narrow opposite side walls 23, 24 whose proximal edges are defined by respective longitudinally extending score or crease lines a, b.

. A relatively wide sidel overlap or top wall 25 and a relatively narrow or short side flap 26l extend outwardly from the side walls 23, 24. Suitable score or crease lines c,d are also formed at thev junctures of the side walls 23, 24 with the respective Yflaps 25, 26...` The body orbottom 22 also has relatively narrow end walls, 3l?, v31 connected to opposite ends thereof and defined by score or crease lines e, f and the .outer ends of the end walls 30, 31 have respective end flaps 32,-33 thereon defined by score or crease lines g, h. l

Now, it will be noted that, as each successive blank Sis Vpositioned 'upon the die-platform 1S (Figure 19) a prefold block or punch 35, normally` spacedabove the 4 level of the die plate or platform 15, moves downwardly to press the bottom 22 of the corresponding blank S into and through the tubular die 16. The die 16 is of such dimensions as to then cause all the walls 23, 24, 39 and 31, and the respective flaps to be bent upwardly along the respective score lines a, b, e, f. After this operation the blank S is, in fact, a partially formed .container, carrier or carton and will be referred to hereinafter as such. The punch 3S forces each successive blank S downwardly through the die 16 and into a corresponding pocket 17 then positioned therebeneath, as heretofore described, and then the punch 35 immediately commences an upward stroke. The main conveyor 20 then advances the carton S beyond the rst .folding station to where an article such as mens hose may be placed therein, during which another cycle of the carton delivery station A occurs.

Each of .the pockets 17 may be in the form of a pair of longitudinally spaced angle plates j' and k, one of which is secured to a longitudinally extending endless belt or sprocket chain 36 and the other of which is secured to a longitudianlly extending endless belt or sprocket chain 36 extending in spaced parallel relation to the sprocket chain 36 (Figures 3-A, 16 and 20), the sprocket chains being primary elements of the main conveyor 20. The pockets 17 maybe of -a type such as is disclosed in the copending application of Grover C. Currie et al.,` Serial No. 591,091, liled June 13 1956, and entitled Conveyor Wechanism, and therefore, a detailed description of the manner in which the pockets 17 are constructed is deemed unnecessary. It might be stated however, that the angle plates j and k are of built-up construction and one of the angle plates of each pair (j) is secured to one chain (36) and the other of the angle plates (k) is secured to the other chain (36') so the chains 36, 36' may be longitudinally adjusted relative to each other to vary the displacement between the angle plates comprising each pocket 17 to accommodate cartons of varying'lengths.

The vertical portions or bars of the angle plates of each pocket 17 serve as carton end-wall supporting elements and are spaced from each other a distance substantially the same as or slightly greater than the length of the bottom 22 of the corresponding carton S. The horizontal portions of the angle plates of each pocket 17 serve as Ithe bottom of the corresponding pocket for supporting Ithe bottom 22 of each successive carton. The angleV plates of the pockets 17 are adapted to move between carton side-wall guide plates 42, 42 (Figures 3-A,

Vii-A and 20) whenV forming the upper run of the conveyor 2G. These carton side-wall guide plates or bars 42 42 serve as a'track or side Walls of the pockets 17.

It will be observed in Figures 19 and 20 that one of the side Walls of the tubular die 16 is provided with an inclined lower side wall portion 16a against which the side wall 23 and the relatively wide overilap 25 move as each successive blank S is forced into a corresponding pocket 17 on the main conveyor 20. At this time, the relatively narrow side flap 26 moves outwardly against a plate 16h connected to the outer surface of the side wall of the die 16 opposite from that side wall which has the inclined plate or portion 16a therebeneath.

It is apparent, by referring to Figures 19 and 20, that the inclined wall 16a and the wall 161; form shoulders at their junctures with the opposed side walls of the tubular die 16 which prevent the corresponding carton from being moved upwardly with `the punch 35 in the `course of its subsequent upward movement. Also, by referring to 20, it will be observed that the inclined wall 16a positions the wide sideiiap 25 of the carton S so its inner surface engages the outer surface of the ingress portion of the elongated horizontally disposed guide plate 42. Also, 'the platelb alines the narrow side flap 26 of the carton S with an inverted. channel shaped or U-shaped narrowflap retaining portion. 44 formed on the guide .plate 42. 

